British PM urges lawmakers to approve post-Brexit trade deal with EU

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday urged the country’s lawmakers to approve the future partnership agreement reached with the European Union (EU) on Christmas Eve.

Mr Johnson was speaking in parliament during a debate on the agreement ahead of a vote in the House of Commons later in the day.

“I beg to move that the bill be now read a second time, and having taken back control of our money, our borders, our laws, and our waters by leaving the EU on Jan. 31, we now seize this moment to forge a fantastic new relationship with our European neighbours based on free trade and friendly cooperation, “Johnson said.

The ruling Conservative Party already has a healthy majority in the House of Commons, although Labor leader Keir Starmer said that he had urged his party’s lawmakers to approve the future partnership agreement, given that the prospect of the Brexit transition period ending on the evening of Jan. 31 without a deal in place would cause chaos.

“This is a simple vote with a simple choice.

“Do we leave the transition period with the treaty that has been negotiated with the EU or do we leave with no deal?

“And so Labor will vote to implement this treaty today, to avoid no deal, and to put in place a floor from which we can build a strong future relationship with the EU,” Starmer stated.
The Scottish National Party’s leader in the House of Commons, Ian Blackford, called the agreement a “con deal,” echoing the concerns put forward by Scotland’s government that the quantity of fish caught by the Scottish fleet would, in fact, decrease as a consequence of the agreement.

UK lawmakers are expected to vote later on Wednesday to approve the future partnership agreement, which was agreed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Christmas Eve.

Should parliament vote in favour, the agreement will provisionally enter into force from January 1, after von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the deal this morning.